WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 21: My Person (1)

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‘It was definitely a man’s voice.’

Rough and coarse, too. I shot upright.

‘What did he say back then? Something about graduating from some mediocre college and ending up in debt.’

So it hadn’t been student loans. Adding that to the phone call just now and the attempted suicide, one obvious conclusion came to mind.

Loan sharks.

Fuck, it wasn’t possible that Myeongu’s SS-Class crafting skill had never come to light because Myeongu died, right? Even if someone borrowed a lot and failed to pay it back, was killing a person really that easy? They’d just beat them up and be done with it.

Though someone could get hit wrong and end up dead or permanently disabled.

‘...Damn it.’

In a panic, I called Yu Myeongu again, trying to reach the unknown man.

“Pick up, you bastard!”

If it was money, I’d pay it back for them, so pick up! Do they know how much Myeongu is worth? But there was no answer from the other end.

“Damn it, what do I do?”

Should I go looking even though I had no idea where they were? For a moment, I wondered if I really needed to go that far.

Losing Yu Myeongu would be a terrible waste. But honestly, Myeongu wasn’t absolutely necessary anymore. I had already built a foundation to live comfortably, and I didn’t need an incentive or anything.

So even if I pretended not to know, it wouldn’t really be a problem. I didn’t need to clean up Yu Myeongu’s mistakes.

“...They’re someone who could live better than anyone else if they just gained the skill.”

Their tear-streaked face came to mind. So did the voice lamenting that they had completely lost their own worth. And my own shitty past, and future, five years.

“Can’t be helped.”

With a sigh, I picked up the phone I had tossed onto the sofa.

Everyone must have thought this at least once. What if I’m actually special? What if someone notices the special quality even I don’t know I have and tells me about it? What if my life changes completely, for the better?

In a world where Awakened existed, that was no mere fantasy. What if I suddenly Awakened as an S-Class one day, or at least an A-Class? At the same time, it was an empty dream with almost no chance of coming true.

But Yu Myeongu had me.

The only person who could tell them, after they had fallen all the way to the bottom, that they were special, and truly make them special.

‘So what else can I do? I know that rock bottom, and I know that hope.’

I had hoped, failed, and despaired too. Without a single helping hand offered to me.

I entered the number I remembered. I had met Do Hamin two years later. But Do Hamin had apparently been working here since three years before meeting me, and I had never seen them change their number, so it should still be the same.

The line rang, and they soon answered.

[Hello, Hamster Detective Agency!]

A bright voice came through. They hadn’t changed, even at this point. Though what kind of name was Hamster Detective Agency?

“Is this Do Hamin?”

[Yes! I’m Do Hamin, director of Hamster Detective Agency.]

“I’d like to find someone. Is that possible?”

[Of course! If you give me their name, appearance, and the number of a phone they’ve used for over a year, I can find anyone quickly! Not just the number, either. The phone itself needs to have been in use for over a year for a fast investigation~]

The playful voice sounded full of confidence. Myeongu’s phone clearly looked more than a year old, so that should be fine.

Do Hamin was a type of information broker. They were especially good at finding people. I didn’t know what skill they had, but if they knew a person’s appearance and a unique serial number of at least six digits from an item the person had owned for over a year, they could immediately track their location.

At first, or rather, at this point, they were simply investigating ordinary people at a detective agency. Then word spread about their absurdly useful ability, and after all sorts of trouble, they became an information broker in the Hunter world.

There were plenty of Hunters who bought information from Do Hamin while finding them annoying. After I got tangled up with them, I had to replace my phone, cards, national ID, and even Hunter license every year. It had been a real pain.

[Once you deposit the payment into the account I texted you, I’ll find them immediately!]

Do Hamin said this after receiving Yu Myeongu’s name, number, and description. Ah, I still hadn’t gone to the bank.

“...Do you take card payments, by any chance?”

[Sure. I’ll send you a link. There’s an additional 10 percent fee.]

Tax-evading bastard. A little while after I paid, Myeongu’s current location arrived by text. They really were fast.

‘Now what?’

Yu Myeongu was at a junk shop called Hope Recycling. Surely Myeongu hadn’t sold their phone to a junk shop. It did seem like a shady place, though.

‘No D-Class or higher Awakened would be running a loan-sharking racket out of a junk shop.’

If their level was low, I could handle even a D-Class with better gear.

I got up from the sofa. The other side was more likely to be ordinary people, so it would be better for me to deal with them.

The problem was that Yoohyun might pitch a fit if I went out alone.

‘Taking Yerim along doesn’t feel right, either.’

I had just become her guardian. It would be terrible to keep showing a kid morally questionable scenes one after another.

First, I headed out and went down to the building lobby. Even though it was the weekend, quite a few people passed through the entrance. I stood nearby and called Kim Seonghan.

[What is it?]

“I’m just going out for a bit, but I thought I should tell you. You don’t have to come if you’re busy. I’m already in the lobby. There are plenty of taxis right outside, and it’s not like anything will happen. Yoohyun might get angry, but...”

Click. The call cut off.

How many minutes would it take him to get here? With so many people watching, I should yell if he tried to drag me back inside.

Not long afterward, I heard heavy footsteps striding toward me.

“Mr. Han Yujin.”

I turned back with a broad smile at the voice holding back its anger. You don’t spit in the face of someone smiling.

“You got here quickly. I would have been fine alone, but I’m terribly sorry for troubling you.”

It’s all because of that temperamental Yoohyun you serve with such devotion, so please don’t blame me.

Kim Seonghan let out a long sigh and turned around.

“Follow me.”

“Where?”

“The parking lot, of course.”

Huh, what was this about? I expected him to lecture me, but he was being surprisingly agreeable. He wasn’t going to pretend to head for the parking lot, grab me by the back of the neck, and throw me into the elevator upstairs, was he?

Just in case, I deliberately kept some distance as I followed him. But Kim Seonghan did not look back even once and headed straight for the parking lot. It was convenient, sure, but suspicious.

“Where are we going?”

Kim Seonghan asked as he opened the car door. After seeing the treatment A-Class dorm residents received, I felt a little bad about making him act as my driver all the time.

“Myeonmok-dong. Hope Recycling.”

I’ll get my driver’s license right away, so please bear with me a little longer.

Hope Recycling was a shabby two-story building tucked away in a secluded spot. The clean sign, which looked like it had been put up only a few months ago, seemed out of place against the weathered walls.

“Will you be all right going in alone?”

Kim Seonghan asked when he saw me take out and put on leather gloves before getting out.

“They’ll probably all be ordinary people, so I’m better off alone. It’ll be a hassle if they pick a fight, so please wait in the car.”

There was a good chance someone would recognize Kim Seonghan’s face. Besides, if possible, I planned to settle this peacefully.

As I approached the entrance, I called Yu Myeongu again. They neither answered nor did a ringtone leak out. Though it could be set to vibrate.

‘Usually, they’d be in the basement or on the second floor.’

The glass door was covered with white film bearing the large words Hope Recycling, so I couldn’t see inside. I said I didn’t need help, but I should still set up a safeguard just in case.

The door was locked, so I pressed the bell beside it. For a store, having the door locked and a camera-equipped intercom installed was pretty suspicious.

[We’re closed.]

Only after I rang twice more did a blunt answer come back. I hurriedly spoke so they would not miss it.

“I’m here to pay back money!”

How many people would refuse someone who had come to give them money? As expected, footsteps soon approached and the lock clicked open.

“Been a while since someone came to pay with their own two feet.”

A large man muttered as he opened the door. I had wondered, but it really was a loan-sharking operation. And... my prediction had been a little off.

It wasn’t enough of a problem to matter much, so I entered with a smile that said, I’m harmless. The first floor was clean for a junk shop.

“Follow me.”

The man led the way toward the stairs.

“The second floor?”

I followed while speaking loudly on purpose. There was a rough iron door that looked out of place indoors. When it opened, what looked like an ordinary reception room appeared.

Including the one who had come upstairs with me, there were three F-Class Awakened, an E-Class, and a D-Class. Yu Myeongu sat on the sofa with a forced smile.

“Oh? Myeongu.”

Wow, fancy seeing them here. When I acknowledged them, Myeongu and the others all turned toward me.

“...Han Yujin?”

“What, you know each other?”

The D-Class sitting on the sofa opposite Myeongu asked.

“We were childhood friends. We ran into each other at the Hunter Association a few days ago.”

“The Association? You’re an Awakened too?”

“Yes, though I’m F-Class.”

“F-F?”

“F-E. Fortunately, I qualify for a Hunter license.”

At my words, the D-Class gave a pleasant, friendly-looking smile. Then one of the F-Classes came closer and spoke as if we were already friends.

“You’re a young man with a bright future. Han Yujin, was it? I was just introducing your friend to an easy, profitable job. Why don’t you join in too?”

“A job?”

“Right. Your friend already signed a contract.”

They had already stamped it? These bastards were trying to snatch someone after I had done all the work setting them up? That was quietly irritating.

It would be fine if it was an ordinary contract, but if it was a Hunter contract, especially an illegal one, things would get annoying. I should inspect it carefully before overturning it.

“Could I hear about it too?”

“Of course! Come on, have a seat.”

Thinking they had caught another sucker, they even kindly served me coffee. Of course, it was instant coffee in a paper cup.

When I sat down beside Myeongu, they glanced at me anxiously. They seemed to want to say something but were too scared to open their mouth. It’s fine, so just sit quietly.

“When did you Awaken, friend?”

The D-Class asked.

“Friday. It hasn’t been long.”

“Then you don’t know much yet. The Hunter world isn’t such an easy place. It’s hard for an F-Class to clear dungeons, and getting into a guild is almost impossible.”

“Really? I heard Hunters make good money, though...”

“You need to be at least E-Class to earn well, and parties do not even want to take F-Classes.”

I made the face of someone hearing this for the first time in their life, then let out a deep sigh.

“I was happy to qualify for a Hunter license, but I guess I got ahead of myself.”

“Ha ha, when has the world ever been easy? But don’t worry. I’ll make a special exception and let you join a guild too!”

“A guild?”

“That’s right, a guild! I’ll let you join our Hope Recycling Guild as a special favor. The guildmaster is C-Class, and I’m the vice guildmaster, a D-Class.”

“Wow, you’re D-Class? Are all the people here Hunters too?”

“Of course. Hey, bring the contract.”

One of the F-Classes placed a contract on the table. Fortunately, it was an ordinary contract.

“The terms are simple. Instead of worthless little F-Class dungeons, we’ll let you enter a D-Class dungeon. Of course, our guild’s combat Hunters will cleanly handle the monsters, while you and your friend collect the byproducts. Easy work that makes money!”

“Oh, I see.”

This was a miner’s contract.

Some dungeons were known as gathering-type dungeons. They had natural environments where useful plants and animals lived, or mines where minerals could be extracted.

But usually, mana stones and rewards from monsters were far more valuable than gathered byproducts. So Hunters with enough ability did not mainly engage in gathering. Of course, low-level F-Classes without equipment could still earn a little by collecting and selling things, but profitable gathering dungeons were only D-Class or higher.

That was why shitty guilds emerged that shoved F-Class “miners” into D-Class gathering dungeons. The official guild members hunted while the miners gathered. The miners, with low ranks, low levels, and no equipment, were often injured or killed by monsters that had not been dealt with in time. Naturally, they received no compensation, and the guild took 70 or 80 percent of the gathered byproducts as supposed fees and protection money.

“See this? All you have to do is join the guild, and you can immediately enter a D-Class dungeon with D-Class Hunters! You just pick up anything valuable you find! It’s a complete piece of cake. Only receiving 20 percent might seem small, but when you consider that the guild covers the dungeon bid and the D-Class Hunters’ equipment, it’s absolutely not a small amount!”

“So I just have to pick things up?”

“Exactly, exactly. Just stamp here. A thumbprint is fine too.”

I put down the contract I had been holding, wearing an expression of intense temptation.

“Could I check just one more thing?”

“Ask away.”

“The terms look good, but just in case, I’d like to compare them with Myeongu’s contract. My terms might be worse. Usually, the person who comes first gets better terms in situations like this.”

At my words, the D-Class burst into laughter.

“Hey, you’re thorough! No reason you can’t! Check as much as you want, then stamp it.”

What an unorganized bunch, casually showing someone else’s contract. Another F-Class took Yu Myeongu’s contract from the safe. This was an ordinary paper contract too. Judging by the state of things, there was no way they had made recordings or filmed anything.

Good. Nothing to hold me back.

I took Yu Myeongu’s contract and tore it straight down the middle.

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